So, did you think of anything for your wish list? Something you need? Did you think of anything someone else might need from you?
I think the thing at the top of my list this year is time spent with my family. And while I always enjoy that time, I'm especially thankful for it this year. I'll get to see my brother and his wife. We haven't seen them since June and most likely won't see them again for a while. And I've loved spending time with my grandparents on both sides of my family. Not only do I get to talk to them and hear stories, but I get to see them interact with Lissy and see the joy that she brings to them. This is especially true of my time spent with my Papa while Granny was visiting her family. With some health scares these last couple of years we are so lucky to still have him with us. Now, as he finishes up chemo, I feel like getting to see the great grandbabies is one of the things that has kept him fighting and made it worth it.
I think something I can give others is patience. All too often we get so caught up in our own lives and the things we're trying to get done that we sometimes forget to be patient with others. I find this to be true in my own life as well. To be perfectly honest, the people that I have the hardest time being patient with are my family. Sometimes I forget that they can't read my minds and that they have things of their own to get done and I get frustrated. Later I'll think back on it and say to myself, "I shouldn't have gotten upset there. That wasn't fair." And so, one of the things that I'm going to try to be more aware of this Christmas season is that I am patient with people.
I also thought about the physical things people might need from me. I'm not talking about putting presents under the tree, I'm talking about the things that I have that someone else could use. For me this shows up the most in my closet. My closet is full, but I often find myself looking at my closet and thinking, "I have nothing to wear." Why is that? To be honest, there are probably a few reasons, but there are a couple that stand out the most. First of all, I have plenty of clothes that don't fit any more, so why not donate them? Second, I have clothes that I don't wear. These clothes may fit size wise, but maybe they don't look good on me, or I have too many of a similar outfit that I like better. So, why not donate these as well? I'm sure there are other things I could clean out and donate as well, but the closet sounds like a great place to start for me. So I challenge myself (and you as well) to clean out some aspect of your life and to donate to someone in need! For me it'll be the closet. (Though you shouldn't expect to see the fruits of this challenge by my next post, because it won't happen that quickly.) You can choose anything! Maybe your pantry needs gone through. Maybe you want to get the kids involved and clean out the toy room! Not only will you make someone else happy and help them out, but you'll be happier because you're helping someone, and you'll feel better with less clutter!
Happy Advent!
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